So, this is not about studying Japanese but teaching it. Do any of you have any good resources about being certified to teach Japanese in the US. Do you have to have a teachers certificate? What about at a private school? Is there a difference for a Japanee national/native speaker vs a weeabo/non native speaker?

Any information would be appriciated.

Page

February 1st, 2012, 12:52

Where do you/someone else want to teach? You need a license but with no child left behind pushing more languages a lot of schools are willing to let you work while you get your license (plus it's a pain in the ass if you end up working in a different state than you have a license for). Private schools are definitely the easiest for this but more and more public schools are doing it as well. You will definitely have to take an (aptitude) exam for Japanese (though the timing for this I'm unsure of) if you're a non-native.

A good place for job listings is the mailing group senseionline if you ignore all the dummies that post there.

If you're looking for a grad program there's quite a few for teaching Japanese, plus summer programs in Japanese pedagogy (Columbia is the one that springs to mind).

mteacher80

February 1st, 2012, 20:31

My wife, Japanese national, is interested in teaching Japanese in the us. She doesnt have a teaching degree but she did take a course in teaching Japanese and passed the finl test and got a certificate with it - that was thought the Japanese government.

I work at a private high school now, and she was thinking to apply there first. We had Japanese at the school from early 90s till three years ago when the last teacher retired.

Thanks for your input.

Edit to add: her degrees are in international relations/ poli sci and Latin American area studies.

Page

February 1st, 2012, 22:00

Yeah I'd say if she's native she should be a shoe in, especially with that certificate. She'd just have to worry about the teaching license and if you're not planning on moving out of state that makes it easier.

jwkelley

February 2nd, 2012, 10:56

look at websites tprstalk.com or more tprs group on yahoo. Its based around a methodology of teaching that is becoming rather popular in middle and high schools. They are a tight nit groups of foreign language teachers that seem to really help each other out. It might be a decent way to break in or get some advice.

mteacher80

February 2nd, 2012, 11:16

Thanks!

carolgreen186

August 29th, 2012, 12:52

moving out of state that makes it easier.

Kellebelle

January 26th, 2013, 20:36

So I can't tell you about the US much, but I'm in the UK and Japanese classes were always optional lunchtime or after school clubs. I taught 3 times a week in different schools and didn't need any teaching qualification, because it was extra-curricular.